US foreign policy towards Asia has been erratic, says professor

Both China and the United States have escalated tensions in political disputes, according to Bruno Hendler, professor of international relations at the Federal University of Santa Maria.

However, in an interview with CNN Radio he argued that the crisis created by the possibility of the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan says more about US foreign policy than about the China-Taiwan relationship.

According to the professor, this US foreign policy “has been driven by structuring conflicts”, as in the fight against Japanese imperialism, against Nazism and against Soviet expansion to the West.

“Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has entered into two structuring conflicts: against Islamic fundamentalism and the construction of a consensus that China is the great adversary to contain.”

For him, the possible visit shows “how erratic US foreign policy is to contain China and Asia as a whole”, from the Obama administration, through Trump and, now, with President Joe Biden.

“Certainly, the most prudent thing would be for Nancy Pelosi not to go, as the visit would act as a trigger for the escalation of tensions”, he said.

The professor says that there is military training in China and Taiwan, which buys many weapons from the United States.

At the same time, the professor believes that China has time on its side, as it works on three fronts to increase its influence over Taiwan.

“There is the threat of the use of force, the construction of common identities and symbols, as they have a common history of anti-imperialist struggle and economic interdependence.”

According to Bruno Hendler, Taiwan tends to be incorporated due to “gradual economic incorporation”, which involves free movement of people, goods and services between nations.

*Produced by Alessandra Ferreira